Cover These are the future classics (Illustration: Raxenne Maniquiz for Tatler Dining)

These are all the dishes a real Hongkonger needs to have at least once in their life

Some say that knowing people in high places is what gets you ahead, but in this food-obsessed city, ordering the right food in the right places might be just as important. How many of these Hong Kong classics—past, present and future—are you able to tick off the list? Let’s play!

See also: 3 Iconic Recipes From Hong Kong Local By Chef ArChan Chan

1. Amber’s corn & caviar

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Corn, because plants rule, and the new Amber is all about putting great vegetables front and center; and caviar, because it’s an essential Hong Kong food group, obviously. 

Amber, 7/F, The Landmark Mandarin Oriental, The Landmark, 15 Queen's Road Central, Hong Kong

2. Bakehouse’s sourdough egg tart

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What's jiggly and silky, encased in flaky pastry, lightly caramelised and creates queues around the block?

Bakehouse, 14 Tai Wong Street East, Wan Chai, Hong Kong
Bakehouse Soho, G/F 5 Staunton Street, Central, Hong Kong

See also: 5 New Must-Try Pastries At Bakehouse's Soho Branch

3. The Chairman’s steamed flower crab with Chenchun noodles and chicken fat

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If fine Chinese dining in Hong Kong had its own coat of arms, a picture of this dish, with the crustacean's peach patterns and the sparkle of rendered chicken fat, might be it. 

The Chairman, 18 Kau U Fong, Central, Hong Kong

4. Hoi On Café’s cubed French toast

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Opened in 1952, this cha chaan teng has true retro cred, but be warned, both the glossy red banquettes and the cubed French toast—a peanut butter sandwich cut into quarters before being deep-fried, for maximum batter coverage—might make your heart stop.

Hoi On, 17 Connaught Road West, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong

5. Hoover Cake Shop’s walnut cup cake

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Chow Yun-fat’s favourite bakery is well known for its chiffon cakes and egg tarts, but longtime fans (like Chow) know that the walnut cupcake, satisfyingly dense with whole nuts in the batter, is the real star here.

Hoover Bakery, 136 Nga Tsin Wai Road, Kowloon City, Hong Kong

See also: Tatler Insiders On The Best Food And Drinks In Hong Kong

6. Kin’s Kitchen’s smoked chicken

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Trust the Lau family to make a Hong Kong classic of soy sauce chicken even better by using a fresh local bird, and smoking it with roses, rock sugar and sugar cane.

Kin's Kitchen, 5/F, W Square, 314-324 Hennessy Road, Wan Chai, Hong Kong

See also: Top 10 Local Chicken Dishes In Hong Kong

7. Kwan Kee's white eel claypot rice

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It's not truly winter in Hong Kong until you're chiselling away at the crisp, golden crust of a claypot rice. Bonus Hongkonger points if you move the eel onto a separate plate before you start. (How else do you ensure it doesn't get mashed, or worse, eaten, before you get to the crust?)

Kwan Kee Claypot Rice, Shop 1, Wo Yick Mansion, 263 Queen's Road West, Sai Ying Pun, Hong Kong

See also: 11 Hong Kong Restaurants For The Best Claypot Rice

8. Lin Heung’s pork liver siu mai

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In a city where a regular Sunday might consist of dim sum with free flow champagne, Lin Heung offers a reminder of our humble traditions, such as never wasting any part of the animal, especially when it’s as nutritious as pig’s liver.

Lin Heung, 160-164 Wellington Street, Central, Hong Kong

See also: Dim Sum At Lin Heung With Fergus Henderson

9. Luk Yu’s sweet and sour pork

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Glance over the dining rooms at lunchtime, and there’s an amber glow from every table. If there was a Central office worker starter pack, Luk Yu’s sweet and sour pork would be on it, front and center.

Luk Yu, G/F-3/F, 24 Stanley Street, Central, Hong Kong

10. Mak’s wonton noodles

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Will eating all those silky "goldfish tails” make you a goldfish? We hope not, because you’d never want to forget the delicate bounce and sweet oceanic umami of these dainty bowls of wontons.

Mak's, G/F, 77 Wellington Street, Central, Hong Kong

11. Master Low Key’s egg waffles

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You can expect perfectly formed, light-as-air gai daan zai every time from Master Low Key—this level of consistency gets a lot of high key love from snack experts all around Hong Kong.

Master Low Key, Shop B3, G/F, 76A Shau Kei Wan Main Street East, Shau Kei Wan, Hong Kong

12. New Punjab Club’s tandoori cobia

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Big, juicy chunks of fish, in a lightly spiced, smoky robe. They flake at the slightest touch, playing slip and slide all the way to your mouth. It’s tandoor mastery in a dish.

New Punjab Club, G/F, 34 Wyndham Street, Central, Hong Kong

13. On Lei’s fish ball and fish cake noodles

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The fish balls and fish cake at this Shau Kei Wan institution are a tasty reminder that many of Hong Kong’s earliest inhabitants were hugely resourceful fishers who used every last bit of their catch.

On Lee, 22 Shau Kei Wan Main Street East, Shau Kei Wan, Hong Kong

14. Roots’ prawn toast

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An old-school favourite turned new wave signature, this reimagined prawn toast by chef Stephanie Wong features salmon roe and and pickled onions that promise a rollercoaster of textures and flavours.

Roots, G/F, 7 Sun Street, Wan Chai, Hong Kong

See also: The One Ingredient That Always Reminds Chef Stephanie Wong Of Home

15. Samsen’s wagyu beef boat noodles

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When this bowl first appeared in 2016, it set a new standard for boat noodles in the city. Although an outlet has since opened in Sheung Wan, the original in Wan Chai is still the only place to get these noods.

Samsen, G/F, 68 Stone Nullah Lane, Wan Chai, Hong Kong

See also: Samsen's Adam Cliff On The Joy Of Thai Noodles

16. Shui Kee’s ngau jap meen

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Fresh ngau jap (beef offal) is used to be ubiquitous in this town, but like many of the toughest jobs, the fresh offal trade has been in decline. Shui Kee’s insistence on buying only fresh beef and innards makes it a precious jewel in the street food crown.

Shui Kee, 2 Gutzlaff Street, Central, Hong Kong

17. Spring Moon’s pan-fried cheung fun with XO sauce

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XO sauce is now known the world over, and it's thanks to Spring Moon, believed to be the originators of the recipe. Savour it in its full, dried-seafood-packed splendour as a perfect accent for plain cheung fun, each bite a delightful package complete with golden, crispy, pan-fried edges.

Spring Moon, 1/F, The Peninsula Hong Kong, 22 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong

18. Sun Hang Yuen's beef omelette sandwich and milk tea

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Drop in anytime—literally, it’s a 24-hour cha chaan teng—for a pick-me-up in the form of a super strength milk tea, made with their own custom blend of over 60 teas, paired with a perfectly toasted and salty corned beef omelette sandwich.

Sun Hang Yuen, G/F, 186 Yu Chau Street, Sham Shui Po, Hong Kong

19. Little Bao Diner’s Szechuan chicken bao

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Crunchy, mala, with just enough acidity—flavours and textures that we know and love, amped up and remixed into bao form. There’s a strict rule at Little Bao Diner against bao cutting, but they're too good to share anyway.

Little Bao Diner, Shop H1, G/F, Fashion Walk, 9 Kingston Street, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong

20. Tai Ping Koon’s soufflé

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The sheer size of this soufflé means it's fit for any celebration, or just any time you need a fluffy cloud of camp, sugary joy. 

Tai Ping Koon, G/F, 40 Granville Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong

21. VEA’s abalone pithivier

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Chinese-style dried abalone need hours of careful cooking to reach a “tong sum” state—that yielding texture akin to gummy bears that responds to a sharp knife but doesn’t disintegrate at its touch. At VEA, this delicacy is wrapped in puff pastry as a pithivier, a remarkable marriage of Cantonese and French techniques.

VEA, 30/F, The Wellington, 198 Wellington Street, Central, Hong Kong

22. Yung’s Bistro’s White Rabbit candy custard

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Be it in Chinese New Year snack trays or a reward to acing a school test, White Rabbit candies were always a treat for Hongkongers growing up. Yung's Bistro’s brings the candy back in the form of a milky custard pudding in the shape of a rabbit that’s almost too cute to eat—almost.  

Yung's Bistro, Shop 701, 7/F, K11 Musea, Victoria Dockside, 18 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong

23. Yat Lok’s roast goose leg noodles

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Crispy on the outside, full of juices within, Yat Lok’s roast goose is legendary, but if you’re just passing by and can’t commit to a full bird, a roast goose leg (ngor bei) on lai fun (rice noodles) is the ideal gluttonous mid-afternoon snack.

Yat Lok, G/F, 34-38 Stanley Street, Central, Hong Kong

24. Yardbird’s tsukune

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Meatballs from the chicken masters that made yakitori essential eating in this city. Charcoal-grilled to perfection, served with an egg yolk for dipping. The answer to that eternal question, “chicken or egg?” is both.

Yardbird, G/F, 154-158 Wing Lok Street, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong

See also: Yardbird's Matt Abergel Wins James Beard Award For First Cookbook, Chicken And Charcoal

This story was originally published in the 2021 edition of Tatler Dining Best Restaurants, out now at all good bookstores

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Illustration  

Raxenne Maniquiz

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